Spring-movement for toy vehicles



F. L. LINDSTROM.

SPRING MOVEMENT FOR TOY VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18, 1919.

1,339,934, Patented Mag 11, 1920.

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FRANK L. LINDSTR-OM, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

SPRING-MOVEMENT FOR TOY VEHICLES.

Application filed February 18, 15-19.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. LKNDSTROM, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Movements for Toy Vehicles, f

which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in toy vehicles and more especially to spring motor mechanisms for operating the same.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive form of spring motor which may rigidly be secured to the frame of a vehicle and connected with a pinion upon the axle to operate the same and in a manner to drive the vehicle; to provide an integral shaft for winding the spring, and to dispose the same lengthwise and out through the front portion of the frame, and to provide upon its outer end a crank for winding the spring, in imitation of an automobile crank.

Further to provide a holding device that can be set to engage an operative part of the motor, to hold the spring against unwinding, but in a way to permit the spring to be wound through the manipulation of the crank and to construct the holding device so that it can be manually released when it is desired to operate the motor and spring.

The further construction, operation and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, upon which similar characters of reference will be found to denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several figures, and in which Figure 1 shows central vertical longitudinal section through a motor vehicle frame and running gear fitted with my improved spring motor.

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the frame and running gear shown in Fig. 1 and having my spring motor mechanism connected therewith.

Fig. 3 shows a central vertical cross section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4: is a detached side elevation of the spring showing its ends connected with the shaft and gear.

Referring in detail to the characters of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented M Ti, 1920.

Serial No. 277,712.

reference marked upon the drawings, 5 represents a one piece sheet metal frame member which is bent to form two side portions and a connecting front end portion. This frame member is preferably channel shape in cross section forming inwardly disposed flanges which may be perforated and out out to accommodate the attaching members of the body as well as other connecting portions of the car. This special construction of frame forms the subject matter of a separate application and therefore no further description of it will here be necessary The front wheels 6 are mounted upon an axle '7 that is ournaled in the two downwardly extended arms of the front truck frame 8 which may be pivotally connected to the floor 9 upon the front end of the car frame. The rear wheels 10 are secured to the rear axle 11 which is also journaled in the depending arms of the rear truck frame 12 that is rigidly secured to the rear end portions of the side members of the channel frame. This member 12 thus not only forms a support for the axle, but also serves to rigidly connect this end portion of the frame together as shown.

The spring motor is hung between and from the two side portions of the frame and is connected with the pinion 13 upon the rear axle for transmitting power to the car and consists in a cross shaft 14 the ends of which are journaled in the downwardly disposed arms of brackets 15 and 16. One of these brackets is secured to the under side of the lower flange of one of the side members and the other bracket is similarly secured to the under side of the lower flange of the opposite side member. A large driving gear 17 is loosely mounted upon the shaft 14: and as shown represents the particular gear of the motor which meshes with and drives the pinion 13 upon the rear axle. The outer end of the clock spring 18 is secured to this large gear at 19 while the inner end is secured to the cross shaft so that the spring will be wound by the turning of the cross shaft. A plate 20 through which the cross shaft extends is located against and in a manner to inclose the side edge portions of the spring 18 and is secured to the brackets by the bridge por tion 21 connecting the two brackets as shown in Fig. 2. The pawl 22 is pivotally connected to this plate and serves to engage the notches of the ratchet 23 secured upon the cross shaft so that the spring 18 connected with the cross shaft is held against unwinding and the power thereof is retained to drive the large gear when the rear wheel and axle of the car are free to turn.

A pinion 24 is also secured to the cross shaft and between it and the bracket is provided a sleeve 25 to hold the pinion in position. This pinion is connected and operated through the gear 26 secured to the crank shaft 27. The inner end of this crank shaft is journaled in the bridge piece 21 to support the gear 26 in position, while the outer end of the shaft is supported in the front portion of the frame in a way to support the crank 28 substantially in the front end of the car, in imitation of an automobile crank.

It will thus be noted that the motor spring is wound through the manipulation of the crank shaft which in turn operates the gear 26 that meshes with its pinion 2-4: upon the cross shaft. This turns the cross shaft well as its ratchet and winds the inner end of the spring thereof. The pawl serves to engage the ratchet to hold the spring against unwinding, thus the accumulated power of the spring is imparted to the large gear which in turn drives the pinion of the rear axle.

In order to temporarily hold the spring motor against operation, I provide a friction eng ging device which is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and which as will be noted comprises a lever 29, one arm of which extends rea-rward, the intermediate portion being pivoted to the frame at 30 and the for ward rounded end portion 31 frictionally engaging the toothed face of the large gear so that when the lever is swung upon its pivot the rounded end will be moved on and off the gear ina way to hold or release the same according to the direction in which the lever is swung.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

A spring motor for toy vehicles, comprising a supporting frame, a shaft, a pinion secured thereon, a gear meshing with the pinion, a crank shaft upon which the gear is mounted and having one end mounted in the supporting frame and the outer end journaled in the forward end of the vehicle frame, a large driving gear loosely mounted on the shaft, a spring one end of which is secured to the shaft and the other end to the large gear, a pawl and ratchet to hold the shaft against backward turning, and a lever pivoted on thesupporting frame and adapted to have one end thereof engage frictionally the. peripheral teeth of the large driving gear to prevent the spring from unwinding.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of F airfield and State of Connecticut this'fith day of February, 1 D. 1919.

FRANK L. LINDSTROM. Witnesses C. M. NEWMAN, LILLTAN M. ALLING. 

